PITTSBURGH — With his lineup struggling to score runs, and with left-hander Erik Bedard on the mound for the Pirates tonight, Davey Johnson is going to trot out as many right-handed hitters as he can. That means Tyler Moore gets to make his second career start in left field, with veteran Xavier Nady in right field.

That also means Bryce Harper, a left-handed batter, will shift into center field. Pretty amazing how much he's been able to bounce around between positions. This is his 10th big-league game, during which time he's made six starts in left field, three starts in center field and one start in right field.

Ross Detwiler takes the mound for the Nationals in search of his team-leading fourth win. If he's fortunate to be given a lead late, it'll be interesting to see how Johnson handles the back end of the bullpen in the wake of Henry Rodriguez's ninth-inning meltdown from last night. The hunch here: Rodriguez still gets the ball in a save situation.

Glad they're gonna give Espinosa a chance to get the job done against a lefty. He's clearly more comfortable on the right side and he hasn't had many chances this year, only 25 PAs so far.If he comes up empty again tonight against a lefty, I have a feeling he may lose a good deal of the support he has left both inside the organization and out, and at least a short term benching could be in his future. Really hope he can break out tonight.

this has nothing to do with this post in general. Just got back from driving a decent amount and was tired of listening to the same old "crap"on both of our supposed sports stations. 105.7 in Baltimore actually talks baseball and they talk a lot of baseball. Of course its not Nationals but how refreshing to hear actual baseball talk. I realize they don't have hockey or basketball but they do have the Ravens and yet the conversation was pretty much all Orioles. Interesting question about how fans were or were not rooting for Hamilton to hit that 4th home run. Also interesting insight into how far he has come and the demons he has overcome. god, I wish we had a station like that. Mark gives us 10 good minutes every time he is on and then they are back to our number 6 draft pick and his influence on next year. Looking for Detwiler to totally shut these guys down, and hoping we don't need a save situation.Go Nats!!

sjm, thanks for sharing.Bowdenball, you're a pretty smart fella, so I assume you know why Espinosa has so few PAs against southpaws. (I'm only asking because you refer to the team giving him a chance.)

Haven't been able to read the blog today (and was too disgusted to last night), so haven't read all the comments. But I wanted to give my 2 cents on the closer situation — I'm still an H-Rod supporter. He has incredible potential should get some more chances before we give up on him in that role. Even after Storen returns, there needs to be a secondary closer for days when Storen isn't available. Hopefully that Plan B will be H-Rod.HOWEVER, we need to win games that we lead going into the top or bottom of the 9th and making H-Rod the closer doesn't mean that Davey has to live or die with him if he's not in good form. Just like in L.A., when he left him in too long, Davey should not have let him pitch with the tying run on 3rd. That eliminated one of his pitches, as Barajas well knew and took advantage of. Davey needs to have someone up and ready in case H-Rod falters. Last night it could have and should have been Burnett, and/or Stammen. I'llbet Stammen would have struck Barajas out. We could have and should have won that game. What a shame to waste LaRoche's heroics. Davey has to be ready the next time.Espi should bat 8th if Davey insists on keeping him in the lineup.

There has to be a point where situational splits don't make a difference. In his career, Ankiel bats .232/.282/.370 against lefties.Over the past 3 seasons, Nady bats .239/.285/.338 against all pitchers.Nevermind that Ankiel plays very good defense, and Nady is terrible.Time to give up on Nady, Davey. He's been awful for 4 years now!

Sure I do, and obviously it's not something that anyone can change any time soon either!I suppose I just meant that with all the recent questions about Espinosa and his performance, I'm glad he'll get a chance against at lefty tonight after that terrible showing last night. It's good timing, and I'm sure that there were some who would like to see him take a seat in favor of Lombo even against a lefty. This gives me reason to hope, for at least one more day, that he'll get this thing turned around.

OK, one last Baltimore reference and I will let things get back to WASHINGTON NATIONALS. I am pretty sure I am correct but I think the Post and others made a big deal about our attendence during the Astro series where we were drawing about 16,000. Lets see, Tuesday night, Two first place teams, and the attendance at beautiful downtown Camden Yards…. 11,000. Please don't write any more stories about disappointing attendance at Nationals Park.

I think if there is a save situation, MPHRod NEEDS to be out there. He is inconsistent, yes, but the team needs to see what he can do given multiple opportunities. The other thing of interest is that Bob and FP were discussing the balls being used yesterday, if they weren't rubbed enough (apparently, teams have people that prepare the balls that will be used on a given day)…Their point was that EJax had difficulty with his slider and so did Henry. Henry with an ineffective slider is NOT going to get the job done. When he has the slider going, he is unhittable. He clearly didn't have the slider last night.

I am optimistic about tonight. Nothing against Bedard but it seems that he has trouble being consistent, game after game. So, he's had a couple of decent outings, due for a clunker. They need to get on him early so that Ankiel can bat for Nady, Bernadina (ugh) for Moore. Otherwise the ball could rattle around the outfield a lot. Be pretty ugly if it works out any other way.

Much as people want Espinosa in the 8th spot, Johnson has to bat someone there that can roll the lineup over to the pitcher, avoid pitcher leading off the next inning. The way Espinosa is hitting, the pitcher will never get up, will always be leading off.

This weekend I watched Papelbon issue a walkoff to a rookie who got his first hit/homer to win the game. Henry has the potential but was thrust into the closer role. I'm fine with it; DJ should talk to him, give him one of his pep talks and put him back out there.

Since the Nats have been winning with regularity I can see that my attitude is changing.The possibility of falling out of first seems like a major tragedy. Not winning a series seems downright depressing. My, my – how I have forgotten how it feels to wonder if we will ever win another game. Lost in the horror of last night's implosions — Zim and LaRoche did not need much time to start swinging again and Ramos went deep. If the pitchers can just keep them at bay and we can eke out some offense than most of the time we are in business. I also realize often how much we miss Morse and Storen. Now Jayson. Will the other guys step up?

They also opined that perhaps Jackson didn't like the rosin bag, as he didn't use it. So, what's not to like about a rosin bag? (Serious question, kind of.)TimDz said… I think if there is a save situation, MPHRod NEEDS to be out there. He is inconsistent, yes, but the team needs to see what he can do given multiple opportunities. The other thing of interest is that Bob and FP were discussing the balls being used yesterday, if they weren't rubbed enough (apparently, teams have people that prepare the balls that will be used on a given day)…Their point was that EJax had difficulty with his slider and so did Henry. Henry with an ineffective slider is NOT going to get the job done. When he has the slider going, he is unhittable. He clearly didn't have the slider last night. May 09, 2012 3:59 PM

sjm, great minds, as I commented to that effect in an earlier post. (Well, actually, I said that the Post should write a similar article on that team up north.) :-)sjm308 said… OK, one last Baltimore reference and I will let things get back to WASHINGTON NATIONALS. I am pretty sure I am correct but I think the Post and others made a big deal about our attendence during the Astro series where we were drawing about 16,000. Lets see, Tuesday night, Two first place teams, and the attendance at beautiful downtown Camden Yards…. 11,000. Please don't write any more stories about disappointing attendance at Nationals Park. May 09, 2012 3:54 PM

Next up, a Phillies pitcher goes "old school" on that rookie. (If so, hope that he gets "old schooled" by the rookie, kinda like Bryce did to Hamels. :-)JamesFan said… This weekend I watched Papelbon issue a walkoff to a rookie who got his first hit/homer to win the game. Henry has the potential but was thrust into the closer role. I'm fine with it; DJ should talk to him, give him one of his pep talks and put him back out there. May 09, 2012 4:18 PM

Oh, and from your mouth to the baseball g*ds' ears, Theo. I'm going with optimistic as well, until proven otherwise.Theophilus T. S. said… I am optimistic about tonight. Nothing against Bedard but it seems that he has trouble being consistent, game after game. So, he's had a couple of decent outings, due for a clunker. They need to get on him early so that Ankiel can bat for Nady, Bernadina (ugh) for Moore. Otherwise the ball could rattle around the outfield a lot. Be pretty ugly if it works out any other way. May 09, 2012 3:59 PM

natsfan1a – does that mean I owe you a coke?I have a hard time buying a beverage that is not good for you so I would prefer to buy you a beer but I understand that would not be your preference. In that same vein, I think MichelleS owes me a beverage for steering her to Justin's.Go Nats!!!

I am not so much off the MPH Rod boat, as I am the Ramos boat. That ship has sank, IMHO. The reason MPH Rod had to go with his fastball against Barajas was Ramos is incapable of blocking sliders in the dirt. Again last night, he wasn't using proper technique. He was stabbing at the ball instead of getting his entire body in front of it to block it. Admittedly, MPH Rod was not helping with his 58-foot control. But he was getting no help behind the dish, just like in L.A.So when the Desi ship finally sails off at 2B, I say it's time to give Kid Flores more than two games a week behind the plate. Offensively, I think they're a wash. Defensively, it's all Flores.I won't even get into Moose's inability to throw out runners…or his complete lack of ability to hold onto throws from the outfield.

As an ex-catcher, I'm going to defend Ramos on both those balls last night.During ST, Henry was throwing his slider in the strike zone and it was a knee-buckler. Now he seems to want to throw it as a swing and miss pitch in the dirt. Ramos would have needed to wear a king size posturepedic matress as a chest protector to keep last nights pitches in front of him.

NatsJack, I always respect your opinion. And you're probably right. I'm just down on the guy. I really don't want to be, given his offseason ordeal and what-not. I just am. But you bring up some great points. Thanks.

Bad pitches in the dirt nothwithstanding, Ramos' ability to throw out runners, block pitches, catch throws, and hold on them is an ongoing concern. I do believe it is just a fieldin slump, as opposed to ability, since he was rock solid last year, but slump or not, Flores is quite capable and still on the team. No disrespect to Ramos – none whatsoever – but Flores has skills too. (P.S., I'm lazy, someone lookup cathers ERA and tell me if there is a significant difference between them – please)

I totally defend Ramos and as pointed out in the last post, even Pudge couldn't stop Henry's wild pitches last year. I just checked the Reds game. Sean Marshall came into to close in a 2-0 game. He gave up a HR to Ryan Braun to make the lead 2-1 in the 9th. Dusty got Ondrusek warming immediately. 1.Ryan Braun homers (10) on a fly ball to left center field. 2.Aramis Ramirez strikes out swinging. 3.Corey Hart flies out to center fielder 4.Jonathan Lucroy singles on a line drive to left fiel 5.Norichika Aoki singles on a soft fly ball to left fielder Chris Heisey. Edwin Maysonet to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Logan Ondrusek replaces Sean Marshall, batting 6th. Coaching visit to mound. 6.George Kottaras walks. Edwin Maysonet to 3rd. Norichika Aoki to 2nd. 7.Travis Ishikawa flies out to left fielder Chris Heisey.

Will said, "Over the past 3 seasons, Nady bats .239/.285/.338 against all pitchers."I believe Nady also only had a handful of at-bats this spring and, yet, Johnson saw something to judge him worthy of a reserve role on the team. But if in reality he is only on the roster until Morse returns, then wouldn't it make more sense to just release him now and give the opportunity to Moore, who is younger, hungrier, and was swinging a hotter bat in AAA?

Dusty got Ondrusek warming immediately.The Pirates replaced Hanrahan last night. The Cubs replaced Marmol the other day (wouldn't you have someone warming if your closer was Marmol?) The point is that closers aren't sacrosanct or entitled to any more "confidence" than other pitchers unless they've really earned it. H-Rod has had some great outings, but he hasn't earned it yet. So get someone up at the first sign of trouble — after a walk, or a wild pitch, or a well hit liner that ends up being an out, or even when the bullpen coach says, "he may not have it tonight." If you do it all the time, it won't seem like a slap to the closer, it will seem like what managers do when they really want to win a ballgame and they are ahead in the 9th. We should not have been in a situation last night where everyone in the park, including, especially, the hitter, knew that H-Rod couldn't throw another slider. That's just receipe for disaster.

Ramos has missed alot more that Henry's 2 sliders in the dirt. I am not an ex-catcher but when was the last time he caught a throw from the outfield?He misses alot of balls, including balls not in the dirt. When no one is one is doesn't matter, but lots of them. He seems to have gotten lazy on balls to his side and more often than not he gloves them without moving. Love the guy but no one is raving about he D like they (we) were last year.And what happened to his arm? The Pudge influence is weraing off and someone needs to get him back into a defensive frame of mind.

The wild pitch talk with trying to pin it on the catcher is bunk. It's on Henry. Make the pitches without burying them in the dirt. We tolerated last year when this wasn't a potential playoff team. Facing a bunch of .170 hitters in the bottom of the lineup, NO EXCUSE Average knuckleball is 25% slower than Henrys fastballs. Huge difference in reaction time.

alm said… I am not an ex-catcher but when was the last time he caught a throw from the outfield?May 09, 2012 5:18 PM ___________________________You either have a short memory or don't watch the games. Bryce Harper's 1st home game last Tuesday. Harper throws on a fly to Ramos and he put the tag on the runner. Called safe.He has had 3 throws to him at home in bang bang plays and one ball was thrown into the path of the runner, one was caught for the tag, and the other in the Dodgers Hairston play was dislodged from his mitt.I don't see a problem there. This is an issue league wide.

Without another MI sub (De Rosa's out), I don't think we're going to see Lombo in the outfield. Why not? If he's needed in the infield, he can move there and a replacement outfielder comes in. I'd actually much rather see Lombo at 2nd than in the outfield (because Roger is a better hitter than Espi, and a better LF than Lombo), but a utility guy can move around during the game if needed.

I sent a note this a.m. via USPS but thanks for this, swami. baseballswami said… FP Santangelo tweets — to send well wishes to Jayson Werth by email write Jayson Werth on the subject line and email to Community.relations@nationals.com May 09, 2012 5:04 PM

Ghost Of Steve M. said… The wild pitch talk with trying to pin it on the catcher is bunk. It's on Henry. Make the pitches without burying them in the dirt. We tolerated last year when this wasn't a potential playoff team. Facing a bunch of .170 hitters in the bottom of the lineup, NO EXCUSE Average knuckleball is 25% slower than Henrys fastballs. Huge difference in reaction time. May 09, 2012 5:19 PM ___________________________Whoa, bunk? You must be pissed!Seriously, you are correct. Its 60'6", not 55'6".

With all the talk above about other teams removing relievers in the ninth — and asserting that removal of same is not sacrosanct . . . with all due respect, I don't think you get what Davey is trying to do.Davey thinks that HRod is benefiting from this, and that the Nats will benefit in the long run from this. Will it cost s couple of games in the short run? Obviously. It already has.But Davey's not afraid of "short term pain for long term gain." That's the way he managed the Mets in the early 1980's (when he had a slew of young pitchers, and when he left them in sometimes a fan could tear his hair out) . . . and he ain't going to change now.HRod's a young 25. He's got some learnin' to do and experience to accrue, and Davey's letting him do that learning.Explaining how 30-year old Joel Hanrahan got relieved last night . . . that's just irrelevant.

… I sent a note this a.m. via USPS but thanks for this …Proving once again that you might be the nicest, most thoughtful person that ever blogged.(if your real. you could be a fictional character devised by some romantic living in the attic)

What is best for the player…to continue putting Espi in losing situation night after night. Maybe he should be checked out…Is he hiding an injury….c'mon Davey do what's best for the player for a change.

222 — I agree that it is one thing to give Henry the ball in the 9th inning and another to leave him out there when he clearly doesn't have his good stuff. Henry is still young and still learning, but DJ must have seen what we all saw that Henry had no command of his breaking stuff. With a fastball hitter coming to the plate, he should have had Stammen or Burnett ready to take the ball and preserve the win. I'm hoping this will be his approach going forward. We're gonna have to survive with Henry until Druuu is back, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to need help sometimes.

jeffwx said… What is best for the player…to continue putting Espi in losing situation night after night. Maybe he should be checked out…Is he hiding an injury….c'mon Davey do what's best for the player for a change. May 09, 2012 5:41 PM _____________________________He could be hiding an injury but that doesn't change his bad "eye" and poor mechanics

I thought Davey was thinking closer A and B and not to put the pressure on one guy. I think that makes sense…now that Lidge is down, he can make a choice on who is new closer B is, and to reduce the pressure on Henry a bit.

sm13, McGhee .246Pressley was .241 prior to his hitNavarro .192Barajas .128 before his HRis not exactly Murderer's Row. I said it after the Dodgers meltdown. Lett has to let McCatty know immediately how Henry is warming but the bigger issue is Henry is not a closer "yet".

Seriously, you are correct. Its 60'6", not 55'6".————————————Maybe Henry's playing real old school.Before 1891, the pitcher's "box" was five feet closer and the pitcher could get a running start within the rectangle before tossing the ball (underhanded however).But then again, any ball hit in fair territory was fair, and a ball caught on one bounce in foul territory was an out.Hamels should really think about bringing back some of these old school rules too.

Even after you throw 2 wild pitches you can't give in and throw anything but your best pitches. I think that a veteran catcher would have reminded him that Barajas can't hit anything but a room service fast ball and if you throw half decent off speed pitches he will get himself out; you don't have to make perfect pitches to Barajas he's not Matt Kemp.

DC Wonk, with all due respect, the same could be said to people who think that Espi should be sent down, or Nady should never see another start. Pulling the "Davey knows best" card just isn't an answer. If that's what Davey is trying to do, then I get it, and I think it's dumb. The game last night was eminently winnable, as was the game in LA. All we needed was one more out against a very weak hitter, and H-Rod didn't have the tools, nor was he in the right frame of mind, to deliver. The all-knowing Davey should have figured that out and replaced him. And if anything, it's the older, more established closer like Hanrahan or Marmol who should get more rope, not the guy who has closed 10 games in his life, or whatever it is.

Nady? Another start? Hey Davey: there was a reason why the X-man was sitting home watching the t.v. when the Nats called: he is, regrettably, washed up.Hey Davey: When do you grow tired of the Mega-Disaster called Espinosa and start playing Lombo?

I can confirm that she is real and is just as nice, and consistent, as she is on the blog. Funny as hell, too. whatsanattau said…Proving once again that you might be the nicest, most thoughtful person that ever blogged.(if your real. you could be a fictional character devised by some romantic living in the attic)May 09, 2012 5:41 PM

If memory serves me right — no one (meaning McCatty) ever came out of the dugout to visit and calm Petrified HRod down during this meltdown.Henry's got some of the best stuff in the big leagues, but unfortunately, he's not ready for closer role yet. And why did Ramos stick with the two fingers and realize his breaking ball wasn't happening? Stupidity/

Section222, well said on Davey. He's not God. Hate to say, in a different media market (like NY) they would ride him on the Espi and Henry issues.It isn't like he doesn't have Lombo who could step in at 2nd and Burnett/Matteus/Stammen to try to close. If you don't try something different, you may keep getting the same lousy results. I respect his loyalty but at a point it becomes stupidity (Ref: See Matt Stairs circa 2011)Good points earlier that compounded the situation, he had Espi in the 5 hole who left 3 men on base. Worse than that, ESPI IS NOW 0-14 WITH RISP. YES, THAT IS A .000 BATTING AVERAGE

NatsFanJim, you reminded me, why DIDN'T McCatty come out to calm Henry down last night? It sure worked on Friday night. When Henry came out Friday I said to my buddy, "we'll know in about 3-4 pitches whether we got Good Henry or Bad Henry." I was right, we had Bad Henry in 3-4 pitches. But McCatty came out, talked to him, and I'll be darned if we didn't get Good Henry back again.What DID McCatty say to him, anyway? I'm dying to know. And I'm dying for him to KEEP saying it.

HRod has some stuff, agreed. His problem appears to be between his ears. The whole organization needs to come up with some strategies and coping skills to use just as soon as he starts to fall apart. The catchers speak his language, McCatty needs to come out sooner rather than later, even the infielders should know if maybe they should throw the ball around to try to slow things down. He's going to need some help out there.

NatsJack — going way back in this thread, I agree Ramos deserves some indulgence on the balls in the dirt — up to a point. Some folks say Ramos MUST be able to block balls in the dirt, so that HRodriguez can throw his "out pitch." Once the ball is in the dirt, the outcome is essentially random. It has a mind of its own and will go wherever it wants. I.e., no outcome can be guaranteed. The conclusion is, Rodriguez needs to learn to control his "out pitch." Having said that, however, the second "wild pitch" was eminently blockable. It bounce directly between Ramos's legs and bounced up, well, directly between his legs. And he still couldn't control it. His defense this year is immensely disappointing. I don't think he's anywhere close to his appointed 250#. Closer to Carlos Maldonado's 290# — and I don't want Maldonado anywhere near my home plate. In addition to other advanced metrics I think the SABRE people should publish BMIs.

Theo, well said—-its exactly what Joel Hanrahan did as the Nats closer with the sliders in the dirt that became Wild Pitches at a pace of 6 WPs in 32 innings in 2009 for the Nats and Henry is well ahead of that pace. UGH-LEE

Aw, shucks. I'll try not to let this go to my head, y'all. :-)NatsNut said… I can confirm that she is real and is just as nice, and consistent, as she is on the blog. Funny as hell, too. whatsanattau said… Proving once again that you might be the nicest, most thoughtful person that ever blogged. (if your real. you could be a fictional character devised by some romantic living in the attic) May 09, 2012 5:41 PM May 09, 2012 6:15 PM

We totally need him to do Wired Wednesday. hmmm…probably gonna need a tape delay on that. :-)NatsNut said… NatsFanJim, you reminded me, why DIDN'T McCatty come out to calm Henry down last night? It sure worked on Friday night. When Henry came out Friday I said to my buddy, "we'll know in about 3-4 pitches whether we got Good Henry or Bad Henry." I was right, we had Bad Henry in 3-4 pitches. But McCatty came out, talked to him, and I'll be darned if we didn't get Good Henry back again. What DID McCatty say to him, anyway? I'm dying to know. And I'm dying for him to KEEP saying it. May 09, 2012 6:25 PM

Rodriguez will be fine and needs to remain the closer. I would rather have him work through these issues now rather than later in the summer. His ERA is still 2.84 and he has only given up 2 HR in 80 innings as a National. The problem is the offense. They desperately need somebody to get hot. Ryan Zimmerman needs to step up and show us something. Josh Hamilton hit more HR's last night than Zimmerman has in his last 202 AB's and has more in 1 month than Zimmerman has in his last 160 games. Where is the production???

Yes, Micheles – but our lineup was constructed for a lefty and now it's a righty. Although, I personally feel that major league hitters should be able to hit both. Watch this guy come in and channel his inner Cy Young.

So last night the Buc's hitter with Danny's batting average hit a walk off home run. Tonight their lefty goes down early and a flame-throwing righty comes in and stymies our carefully constructed line up. Talk about falling in sh$% and coming out smelling like a rose. Are we offending the baseball gods in some way?

MicheleS – I think you should just randomly start complaining about everyone on the team. Seems like it might be a bit out of character and way too stressful for you – but, hey, if it will help the team?

Swami, last night I took the dogs for a walk and we got 2 runs, I walked back in the house, and Ejax gave of the 2 hrs. I am starting to develop a complex. But then I have grumbled about Espi and that hasn't helped.

What the heck? That was a trainwreck!The offensive players return and the pitchers blink. That reminds me of JZim having one goofy inning. Ross lost it after the strikeout/ hit by the pitcher and then all kinds of crazy things happened.Seems like the Buc's have some kind of baseball kharma going right now. Have you ever seen so many silly little things happen in a short time? We really need to hit the ball.

Not a perfect game, but on June 11, 2003, 6 Astros pitchers combined to throw for a no-hitter against the Yankees after Roy Oswalt left with an injury in the second inning. It was the first interleague no-hitter thrown by away team. First no-hitter thrown by an NL team against an AL team. First official no-hitter against the Yankees in 44 years.Also, future National Brad Lidge would throw two innings worth of no-hit ball in that game.

and: Jul 13, 1991 – The Orioles defeat the A's 2-0 on a combined no-hitter by pitchers Bob Milacki‚ Mike Flanagan‚ Mark Williamson‚ and Gregg Olson. It is only the second time in history that 4 pitchers have combined to throw a no-hitter. On September 28‚ 1975‚ Vida Blue‚ Glenn Abbott‚ Paul Lindblad‚ and Rollie Fingers turned the trick for Oakland against the California Angels. Starter Bob Milacki is lifted in the 6th after Willie Wilson smashes a ball off the pitcher's index finger.

I was being serious last night when I said Davey should have let Ejack hit after he already had 2 solid hits and then move him to 2b. Why Espinozo has not been sent down to Cuse is a mystery to me. I also said that last night's loss was going to linger for a long time… we are seeing it now. i hope I'm wrong, but I think last night's loss will be like last year's loss to the Cubs at home after we had a 7-0 lead in the 7th inning. We were right at 500 and then went into the tank after that. I hope we are not headed for disaster, losing a series to the Pirates is a panic situation in my view

Espi is just an automatic out.He has got to be feeling so much pressure. Is this really fair to him or the team? Heyward had a year like this last year. MicheleS – I have really been ragging on Nady.Who should we complain about next? Pittsburgh plays a really extreme shift, almost like the Brewers do.

Allright! A new pitcher, Cy, Jr! Seriously – the nats look so bad offensively. One could say they are offensive, offensively.Did someone tell them that Pittsburgh is a bad team and will be easy to beat? And about Nady – I know he got a hit and and rbi, but he is the anti-Bryce – that guy has absolutely no hustle in him at all. He probably could have had another hit had he tried to run to first. He also does not charge in from right. Lead in his shoes.

BTW I was also wondering about Nationals running game. Last season Desmond had lot of steals by this time, now he has only two. Espi just does not get enough to steal any. point is as a team we have too few SB. Is that something new under Davey?Espi gets a hit! Go Danny!

Good for Espi. He needed that. 90% of his hitting problems are half mental, or something like that. I already posted my game-day FTHC rant in the next post by Mark, so I will spare everyone on this comment thread. R.E.: "Wait – so the pitches can CURVE?"

So – did Danny hit a breaking pitch or was it somehow a fastball? Let's hope this breaks the curse on his bat. And let's hope the nats get some more hits before I break out some more curses. A one-run game – shocker!

I remember when Ankiel was first signed, and one of the comments was that he really swung the bat well when previous teamed with Rick E. as his hitting coach. Why I ever bought into that line of malarkey is beyond me. R.E.: "You'll catch up to that high fastball, just keep swinging."

If your team is not scoring runs….and in danger of going 4-8 of your last 12, you must use your strengths on the bench….it makes no sense to keep sitting lombo esp. after having TWO 3 hit games in a row this weekend. Davey every batter in the lineup counts. lombo gives you one less hole.You can't have your 3 worst hitters in the lineup at the same time….need to split em up one day to the next. No more wasting the greatest starting rotation in a generation. No more Nady,Espi in the lineup together.Try lombo, Moore/Tracey instead. every at bat counts.

I've gone from wanting to show my support for Danny by keeping him in the lineup to showing my support for Danny by giving him an opportunity to go down to the minors for 30 days. The programmatic temporary minors assignment has worked before. Be kind, let him break it down and build it back up in the minors.

Have you noticed that our pitchers are starting to have little episodes — a bad inning here and there, a home run given up. It's not even really that bad – I mean, maybe 3 runs, a couple of homers. They are all still amazing – just not perfect. It's still the offense that is the elephant in the room. Every pitcher knows that they get Danny and the pitcher. Even I would know that. They also know that with runners on everyone will swing up out of their shoes.

We make too many mistakes – at the plate and in the field (the ones on the mound don't cost us nearly as much or as frequently as the other two) to win close ballgames. Just lost our second series of the year, but I have a sinking feeling we will start to lose a lot more as teams know we can't hit breaking balls. Hoping for .500 ball until Morse gets back. At least the Caps beat the whiny rangers.

On the postgame show, Ray Knight just said "Too many strikeouts. There's just no reason this happens year after year after year." (He went on to say they were not home run hitters but were swinging like they were.) Oh Ray, I'm pretty sure I know the reason: 3 managers, many lineups, one hitting coach. I'm just saying. My next T-shirt to wear to Nats Park will have "Fire The Hitting Coach" on the back.

Another team lost. Strrarting pitcher is relatively effective, but the fielders were pathetic overall, and The hitters are just rediculous as awhole with RISP, Some hitter needs to take leadership here. The real leader in the clubhouse is Werth he needs to be on th bench and in the clubhouse.